


see how this could be you

by lady_krysis (saekhwa)



Category: The Losers (2010)
Genre: Aftermath, Babysitting, Canon Character of Color, Character Death Fix, Character(s) of Color, Community: ante_up_losers, F/M, Female Character of Color, Gen, Interracial Relationship, M/M, Male Character of Color, Male-Female Friendship, POV Character of Color, POV Male Character, Queer Gen, Rare Pairings, Team Sniperknife, Team as Family, The Losers Big Bang 2014, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 19:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2080383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/pseuds/lady_krysis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Cougar comes back, Roque starts to settle into more than just their home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	see how this could be you

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Lost Upon Waking](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2082474) by [lunesque (Moriavis)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moriavis/pseuds/lunesque). 



> This fic takes place a few months after [](http://lunesque.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**lunesque**](http://lunesque.dreamwidth.org/)'s story [Lost Upon Waking](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2082474). 
> 
> Per the norm, I like cheesy jokes (pun intended) and Roque making his way back home.
> 
> As always, considerable thanks and fluffy hearts go to [](http://kate.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](http://kate.dreamwidth.org/)**kate** , who took the time to offer feedback, suggestions, and corrections even when she's slammed with work.

"It's time," Cougar says, voice so low that Roque can pretend he didn't hear. 

They don't pretend with each other, though. Straight and narrow. They agreed after they came back. Maybe not verbally, but it was an agreement all the same. 

So Roque takes a breath, holds it, and nods. "Let's go."

~*~

Yard's not that big, but Jolene never wanted a white picket fence with a mansion. She wanted a home. Roque remembers that. Porch is nice. Has a swing that Roque can easily see Jolene sitting in, rocking with the baby, breathing in the scent of fresh flowers that line the front of the house. 

The porch isn't enclosed. Roque can jump it if he has to. Skirt around to the back as a last resort. It's a blind spot, but sometimes, you have to go for what you don't know. Change the game. 

Cougar's fingers are tight around Roque's shoulders, more reassuring than pushing. Roque still knows he's gotta take that first step and then the second and then all the ones that follow until he's at the first porch step. Cougar maneuvers in front of him. It happens seamlessly, but Roque still takes the last three porch steps, hangs back while Cougar rings the doorbell. 

The neighbor to the left is peeking through the window. The curtain falls when Roque turns to stare her down. 

"Roque," Pooch says. "Man, long time no see, because you're an asshole."

Roque doesn't know how to navigate this anymore. Too many years. So when Pooch extends a hand, Roque clasps it. They draw each other in, slap each other's backs, and Roque breathes a little easier. 

"Come on in," Pooch says. "Quit scoping the exits."

They clear the threshold, and home or not, Roque doesn't give up some habits. Hallway to the left and an opening to the right that probably leads to the kitchen. He wonders if there's a door to the backyard through there. If not, there's the window right in front of him. 

Place is homey, but a bit cluttered. Diaper bag is next to the couch, toys and pacifiers and a blanket scattered on the floor next to the coffee table. 

"Sorry the place is a mess," Pooch says, and starts picking up. "We sleep when the baby sleeps now, and babies have no damn sense."

Cougar smirks beneath his hat, but he doesn't say a word. Roque would follow his lead, but—

"Don't worry about it," and picks up the pacifier, setting it on the table.

"Lin!" Jolene calls from somewhere in the house. Hearing her voice … Roque doesn't know his shoulders are stiff until Cougar curls a hand around the left one and squeezes.

"Comin', baby!" Pooch calls back and just gathers everything up in one fell swoop, vanishing down the hall. 

"This is a bad time," Roque mutters, but Cougar shakes his head, pats Roque's shoulder, and then takes a seat on the couch. 

Roque stays standing. He turns just in time to see Jolene's wide arms. Then they're closing tight around him, and that wasn't the greeting he thought he'd get. 

"Roque," she says. "I'm a mess. The house is a mess, but—" She stops and hugs him more tightly.

Roque brings his arms up a beat too late, because she's pulling away when Pooch appears, cradling the baby, who seems determined to squirm right out of his arms. 

"Oh, Lin, baby, you're going to drop him," Jolene says, and tries to take the wriggling kid only to be thwarted when a tiny baby fist grabs the loose strands of her hair at the side of her face. "Ow, ow, Jamal, honey, let go of mommy's hair."

Fortified with a breath, Roque steps forward and helps Pooch and Jo juggle a baby and free her hair from the kid's iron grip. Jolene looks at him with utter relief and sweeps all of her hair back, fixing it into a loose bun that should be out of baby reach. 

"Didn't even know you had some baby experience," Pooch teases, leaving the kid in Roque's arms. 

"Don't," Roque says. It's a lie, and Pooch laughs like he knows it while Jolene tickles the baby's belly. 

"Jamal, this is your Uncle Roque. Roque," Jolene says, smiling up at Roque, who's trying not to get bug-eyed over _uncle_ , "this is Jamal."

"Welcome to the family." Pooch claps Roque's shoulder, and Cougar, the bastard, is fucking smirking on the couch. 

~*~

"I was very, _very_ angry when they told me what happened," Jo admits on the second visit when Pooch is the one knocked out with Jamal. 

Roque, Cougar, and Jo are out on the porch, Jo on the swing, Roque and Cougar perched on the railing. She stretches her legs and wiggles her toes, the iced tea in her lap leaving a wet ring on her jeans. 

"But once I thought about it. Really thought about it." She looks at Roque. "It must have been so hard for you."

Looking down isn't an affirmative, but it's what Roque's got. 

"It's okay," Jo says. "You don't have to tell me anything. I'm just happy you're all back home safe, that—" Roque risks glancing up and sees that Jo's the one looking down, both hands wrapped tightly around her glass, her mouth pinched and eyes squeezed shut. He knows that look. Seen it on his momma's face enough times. "You're all okay." Jo smiles, because she has to, because if she doesn't, those tears will break free. Roque knows. He knows too damn well. "Now you and Cougar can help with babysitting duties."

It's such a quick damn turn that Roque doesn't get a chance to say _hell no_.

~*~

Pooch and Jo love Jamal. They love that damn kid to the ends of the earth and back, but Roque knows they need a break. If he thinks rationally about it, he's not going to back down from this kid's nasty ass diaper or the fact that everything goes in this kid's mouth. Roque doesn't even know where the fucking rock came from but has to fish it out while Jamal tries to fight him and gum at the finger that Roque has to shove past the kid's tight lips to get the rock out before he chokes on it. 

Roque glares at Cougar, who's sitting on the couch, calm as fuck. "I fucking hate you."

"Language," Cougar says. Roque wants to punch the goddamn smirk off his face.

~*~

Jensen comes around after several weeks of visits. Cougar warns him, because Cougar knows by now that Roque doesn't fucking like surprises. When they reach Jo's and Pooch's house, Jensen's already there, bouncing Jamal on his knee. Roque's grateful for that, too. Gives him the clear line to the exit, since he's standing in it. 

"Yo, man," Jensen says, and catches Jamal's hand before Jamal snatches the glasses off his face. "Long time no see. How've things been?"

Roque shrugs and takes a step forward. "Same 'ol."

"You guys still owe us cheese."

Pooch snorts. "White people and their cheese."

He and Roque fist bump on that shit. 

~*~

Roque knows he's not gonna see Clay, because he doesn't want to see Clay and tells Cougar, "I don't fucking want to see Clay."

Good thing about Cougar being a man of few words is that he simply nods and takes it for what it is. 

Still makes Roque wonder whether the rest of the team sees Clay or if none of them talk about it, because Aisha made good on her word.

~*~

Door opens, and Jolene is weighted down with bags and bags of groceries. Pooch and Cougar immediately stand to help, but Jolene's frozen in the door, staring at the playpen they've got Jamal in with the pink teddy bear dressed in knight's gear — gift from Jensen — and the monopoly money laid out on the table.

"What are you doing?" she asks. 

"Oh, you know, baby," Pooch hedges as he takes a few bags from her.

"Cockfight," Roque says, and Jensen snorts, rubbing his nose like that'll stop him from laughing. 

Jolene's eyebrow goes up, and her lips part, but then she narrows her eyes at Pooch. 

"Roque's just messin' with you, baby."

"Yeah, I mean, no child endangerment here," Jensen says. "It's just Jamal the Mauler fighting T-Die Ripper." Jensen starts hopping the bear across the cage, and Jamal burbles, slapping it with his uncoordinated hands. "Oh, yeah! Taken down with a right hook, and now Jamal the Mauler's signature move. Gnawing T-Die Ripper into submission." Jensen starts making noises to act as the audience roar, and Roque shakes his head. 

"Harmless," he tells Jo, who shakes her head but is smiling. 

"Ruffians," she says, tossing up both hands now that Pooch and Couger have taken all the groceries into the kitchen. "I left my son with barbarians."

She sweeps Jamal up and kisses his cheeks, but the kid's more occupied with chewing the bear's ear. Jo doesn't even ask anymore, just drops Jamal into Roque's arm when Roque stands, like it's perfectly natural, like he really is the kid's uncle. 

It's weird sometimes. Like those five years he spent alone with Cougar. Roque thinks he'll wake up. Jensen'll pull him out of another virtual reality mindfuck, but Jamal's a constant distraction from thoughts like those. Especially now when he's spitting up on Roque's shirt, and Jensen's saying, "Ewww. That'll never not be gross," while Jo sighs and shouts at Pooch to toss them a towel from the kitchen. 

Pooch says, "Sure thing!" But it's Cougar who brings it, who smiles at Roque as he wipes away the baby vomit. They don't kiss. They never do when the team's around, but later they will. 

For now, Cougar pats the wet spot in Roque's shirt, and Roque squeezes Cougar's hip, warns, "Not a goddamn word," with a smile.


End file.
